The Better Way

Standing on our front porch and waving goodbye is a family tradition. As each family unit pulls out the rest of us send them off with shouts of, “I love you, Come back soon, and whatever fun family quote may come to mind.” We watch until they top the hill and we can see them no more. Eventually, it dwindles to Bob and I standing alone on the porch, waving amid shouts of I love you and come back soon. Then we turn and enter a house emptied of their laughter and warmth.

If I am going to be able to walk back into such a house following the departure of all those people who inspired such joy and happiness for me, I must come to terms with the fact that I need help, God’s help. Sure I will be sad without them. That’s normal, even to be expected. But in time the sadness will fade and the memories of laughter and good times will replace it.

For over the years, with all the comings and goings of my children and their families, God has schooled me on how to handle this reoccurring activity. Sure, it was super difficult at first, but with each arrival and departure God taught me ways to make it more manageable.

I just had to learn how to sort through the thoughts that invaded my mind in the quiet after their departures. Thoughts of the sin nature, you know self-centered thoughts, would compete for my attention. Until finally, I learned God’s way of attacking those negative thoughts. God’s truths, when applied, lead to a healthy state of emotions like the following.

God reminds me that He is always with me. Knowing God is always with me and that He hears me, is amazingly reassuring.

God empowers me to recognize thoughts that are from Him and those that are from Satan. Then I can effectively recognize and embrace thoughts from God, and reject thoughts from Satan. Cuts down on the confusion.

Thoughts stemming from God will bring peace. Peaceful type thoughts will rule my thinking. That’s something the world cannot fathom.

Keeping my focus on God frees me from feeling sorry for myself. God’s way will produce positive solutions.

Therefore, as I turn and enter an all too quiet house, I will enter being reminded that God’s way of facing such moments is always the better way.

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Obey and Release!

   Twelve years ago my son left his homeland to serve God overseas. Since that time he has married, he and his wife have had two boys, and they are now living in their 4^thforeign country.

   I began writing this blog when my son and daughter in law first left for Africa. I wrote it for a two-fold reason. As therapy for myself–it helps a lot to put my feelings into words. And to help other mom’s who might be facing the journey I was about to embark upon. I saw myself as a trail blazer for them.

   I am now in the 12^thyear of this journey.  And experience has brought many things into it’s proper perspective.  I’ve had to learn how to get my ‘self’ out of the way! Not so easy to do my dear readers. For those first few days were a train wreck in intensity! All I could think about was the vastness of space and time that now separated my son and I. Yet, I remember coming to the realization that my son’s work could be positively or negatively affected by the manner in which I handled this separation. 

   I had to learn how to cooperate with God as He gave me the desire and power to do what pleased Him; not myself. When I did, I avoided the bondage of feeling cheated because I didn’t get to have my son and his family near me to enjoy and make memories with.  

    I have three daughters who up until recently lived in the same state with me. Now, only one daughter and her family live nearby. I have had to draw again and again upon those valuable lessons learned twelve years past as I released two daughters and their families to go and do God’s bidding. 

   It’s hard to do such releasing, but I don’t care to be miserable because my babes are too far away. It’s not easy to lay aside your personal pain. But if we let our pain become our focus, it will destroy us. It will also hamper the work God calls our children to. Instead, we can choose to enjoy the blessings and comforts God is so good to give us when we choose to obey and release!

 

Saying Goodbye Yet Again? It’s Doable!

Jeremiadoss Family Back to Africa

   The time has come for my son’s team member’s family to return to their ‘home’, as their children call it, back in Africa. Stateside is a blissful experience in a lot of ways. (Not without it’s stresses, for sure) But one is always comparing life here with life there. Life in Africa with it’s vastly different climate and culture is a far cry from life in the United States.

   But, you know, that’s not what makes it hard to say goodbye to each other. For the missionaries have come to love and value their life where they serve. As is evident in this quote from the article above.

Africa has a way of never leaving you the same-once you go, the beautiful, perseverant people have a way of intertwining with your soul and leaving you with a heartsick ache. It is with great excitement that we return to Africa

   And for us as their family who must bid them farewell, yet again, knowing they feel this way about where they serve, is a blessed comfort. 

   At those moments when the farewells must be said, it’s the  fact that our lives must move forward in separate directions that hurts. Now our memories won’t include each other as they did during stateside. This is and never will be easy! That’s the fact, the reality of their calling (to go) and our calling (to release) is something that can’t be taken lightly! 

   But we are not without comfort! God built those comforts into our obedience! Personally, I don’t expect these farewells ever to be easy. Though by experience I have come to realize they are doable. And as God promises,

I can do all things through Him who strengths me.Phillipines 4:13 NKJV